125 KG: Men's Freestyle 2019 World Championship Preview

Photo courtesy of United World Wrestling

The heaviest weight class in men’s freestyle is also the most predictable this year. At the top, there are two real title threats, and a slightly larger group of medal contenders. Three out of four of 2018’s World medalists are returning, with Iran’s Parviz Hadi withdrawing due to injury.

Top UWW Seeds

Seeds are determined by points earned by winning bouts at United World Wrestling’s Ranking Series events, held throughout the year. The one and four seed will be on one side of the bracket, the two and three on the other. At the top are:

#1: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

#2: Zhiwei DENG (CHN)

#3: Taha AKGUL (TUR)

#4: Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)

While these seeds are important for bracket structure, they do not necessarily reflect the actual standings of talent in the world. We’ll be referencing The Fight Site’s international rankings, compiled by Seth Petarra.

Title Contenders

In all likelihood, 2019 will see another clash between two multiple-time World champions in #1 ranked Taha Akgul and #2 Geno Petriashvili.

Akgul established himself as one of the most dominant forces on the planet when he won four straight titles at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Worlds, capping his run off with a 2016 Olympic championship. His title streak came to an end at the hands of the young upstart, Georgia’s Petriashvili.

It did not take long for the 2013 Junior World champion to transition to seniors. That same year, he participated in the 2013 World Championship and took home bronze. He repeated with another bronze performance in 2015, then again at the 2016 Olympics, losing to an experienced Iranian. 2017 was Petriashvili’s breakout year, where he defeated the long-standing champion.

Many anticipated a top-level rematch at the 2018 Worlds, but Akgul was upset by Parviz Hadi, who then in turn lost to Petriashvili in the semifinals, taking Akgul out of the tournament. Petriashvili went on to win his second consecutive title over Zhiwei Deng.

Since then, Taha Akgul has clearly been returning to peak form. At the 2019 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix he worked through a tough field, taking silver after losing to Russia’s top heavyweight - Anzor Khizriev. But at the 2019 European Championship, Akgul got revenge on Geno Petriashvili and reclaimed his #1 spot. His most recent performance was a 2019 Yasar Dogu title in Turkey, he defeated Nick Gwiazdowski in the finals.

Petriashvili has certainly been shaky since winning his 2018 World title. After taking gold at the prestigious Alans tournament, an injury forced him to forfeit his semifinal Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov match against Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi, and then again against Russia’s Said Gamidov in the bronze match. Petriashvili was healthy enough to make it to the finals of the European Championship, squeaking out a 3-2 win against Khotsianivskyi. Against Akgul in the finals, he was shut out 7-0.

In terms of projections, momentum is certainly on Akgul’s side heading into Worlds. If you’re not expecting a healthy Petriashvili, favor the Turk.

Medal Contenders

After Akgul and Petriashvili, the remainder of the top five heavyweights in the world are not competing. #3 Hadi is injured, #4 Khizriev is injured, and #5 Bilyal Makhov is taking his time on his comeback, despite an unblemished run at the 2019 Ziolkowski where his countryman Khugaev was defeated by Amar Dhesi.

That brings us to the #6 ranked Jamaladdin Magomedov of Azerbaijan, an Ossetian Russian by birth. A consistently relevant player at 125 kg, Magomedov won World bronze in 2011 and World silver in 2015. Magomedov reestablished himself as a threat with a bronze medal at the 2018 European Championship, but went 0-1 at the 2018 Worlds. This year Magomedov took home bronze at the 2019 European Games, perhaps indicating a return to form.

Many see #7 ranked Nick Gwiazdowski as a shoe-in for a medal match in Nur-Sultan. Seeded fourth, Gwiazdowski will likely see Geno Petriashvili in the semifinals, if all goes according to plan. He cannot afford a loss prior to meeting the Georgian, as he will not be pulled back into the tournament if the man who defeats him does not reach the finals.

Gwiazdowski was one of the most successful heavyweights in the history of NCAA Division 1 wrestling, placing 8th to become an All-American as a true freshman at the unheralded Binghamton program. After redshirting and transferring to North Carolina State with his head coach Pat Popolizio, Gwiazdowski won back-to-back championships, one of them over a reigning two-time champion in Tony Nelson. Gwiazdowski’s own title streak was brought to an end by Kyle Snyder his senior year.

In freestyle, Gwiazdowski has made his mark, winning World bronze in 2017, bronze at the 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and Yasar Dogu, then 2018 World bronze after losing to Deng. In 2019, Gwiazdowski did not place at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament, losing to Hadi and Deng. Gwiazowski did make it to the finals of the 2019 Yasar Dogu, where he was competitive with Akgul. His seed will keep him separated from Deng, improving his chances.

Also in the mix will be Russia’s #8 Alan Khugaev, who finds himself representing his country at Worlds after Khizriev and Makhov were unavailable. It is a testament to Russia’s depth that their third-best option is a certain medal contender. Khugaev’s prowess has mostly been proven domestically through his performances at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, winning gold in 2014, silver in 2015 and 2016, and gold in 2017.

This year has been one of Khugaev’s best. He won bronze at the 2019 Ali Aliev before winning a Russian National championship. His upset loss to Amar Dhesi led to Ziolkowski bronze, but it is worth nothing that Dhesi will not be competing in Nur-Sultan.

Another top 10 entity competing is #9 Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi of Ukraine. Khotsianivskyi’s prime seemed to have been in 2013-2014, where he won medals at the Yarygin, Baku Golden Grand Prix and Ali Aliev tournament. He has since seen a resurgence, winning the 2018 Yasar Dogu and earning bronze at the 2019 European Championship, bronze at the 2019 European Games, but did not place at the Ziolkowski.

#10 Yadollah Mohebbi will be competing for Iran in place of the injured Hadi. A 2017 Asian champion and 2018 Yasar Dogu silver medalist, Iran will be in good hands. In 2019 Mohebbi has been inconsistent, winning gold at the Asian Championship then placing 5th at the Yasar Dogu.

Due to Russia’s immense presence internationally and Dhesi’s absence, there is a drop-off in ranked entrants until we reach #15 Zhiwei Deng, the #2 seed. A more recent player at heavyweight, Deng made his mark in 2018 by winning silver at the Asian Games, bronze at the Ziolkowski, then reaching the World finals with his upset win over Gwiazdowski. 2019 has been a bit less productive, he reached the Asian Championship finals where he lost to Mohebbi, took bronze at the Ali Aliev, then did not place at the Ziolkowski, losing to #18 Daniel Ligeti. If Deng is at his absolute best he can likely make the semis where will face #1 Taha Akgul.

Outside Threats and Dark Horses

A wrestler to keep an eye on is #20 Khasanboy Rakhimov. The 2018 Junior World bronze medalist seems to be quickly closing the gap on senior-level competitors, falling just short at 5th at the Asian Championship this year before winning the Medved in August. In the finals he destroyed American phenom Gable Steveson by technical fall. Steveson has been neck-and-neck with successful international competitors like Nick Gwiazdowski and Adam Coon domestically, Rakhimov is a problem.

Some interesting entrants are the unranked Levan Berianidze and Sumit Sumit. A native Georgian, Berianidze was a noteworthy competitor for years, winning 2010 World bronze, making it to 5th in the 2016 Olympics, then winning 2017 World bronze. After winning the 2017 Stepan Sargysan in his adopted nation of Armenia, Berianidze has been inactive.

On paper, India’s Sumit seems like a wrestler who could make an impact. After winning silver at the 2017 Asian Championship, Sumit made it to the bronze medal match at 2018 Worlds, where he lost to Nick Gwiazdowski. This year Sumit won bronze at the Asian Championship and Yasar Dogu, demonstrating a promising level of consistency.